Life As We Know It
by Renee-Hadley
Summary: AU! Quinn and Santana were together but broke it off. Santana's brother is married to Quinn's sister until the two tragically die in car accident, leaving the two women to raise their sibling's 4 children together. A story about growth, love and family. Quinntana Endgame! Rated T for now but will change to M in later chapters.


**Hi guys! Well its been a while since I have written anything but this story sort of just popped up into my head and felt this need to write it, so here it is! In this story Santana and Quinn had dated for a few years but it didn't work out. However Santana's brother and Quinn's sister were married to each other. Tragically their siblings both die in a car accident leaving the two women with their 4 children. I'm not exactly sure where this story is going, some of it will be like the movie but most of it not. But this will be a story about growth, love and family. And don't worry Quinntana is endgame! If you have any suggestions feel free to message me!**

Sometimes things happen in life which you don't understand. Sometimes horrible things will happen to good people. Quinn Fabray had gone to church every Sunday of her life, even after she left home, because it was where she felt the safest. It was a community of reassurance that there is hope in the world. That we are all here for reason. We pose a purpose. But now as she stood in front of her sisters casket, her brother-in-laws beside it, in the same church she found reverence in, holding her now orphaned 1 year old niece in her arms, she wondered if it was in fact all a hoax. If there really wasn't a God after all. Because she did not understand what kind of god would let this happen. What kind of god would take away amazing, loving, wonderful parents from four innocent children. In this moment more than any other moment in her entire life, yes in this moment Quinn Fabray doubted the existence of God and more than that, she didn't even feel guilty about it.

Santana Lopez had stopped believing in God when she was 16 years old. She thought the entire religious thing was stupid and insignificant. It didn't make a bit of sense to her, not the way it did to her family at least. Her brother and parents never tried to force her to believe in Christianity, they accepted and loved her just the way she was and she would be forever grateful for that. But it seemed ever since she got that fateful phone call that, rainy tuesday night from her hysterical mother, all she had been doing was praying. Praying for the strength to get through every day, praying that her family could stick together through this treacherous time, praying for everything that came to mind. For the first time in 10 years, Santana Lopez believed in the power of prayer and the one who answered them.

"i'm so sorry for your loss." Quinn had lost track how many times those words had been uttered to her in the past week. They meant nothing to her anymore because no matter how many people were sorry, it would not bring her sister and brother in law back. But she still put on a fake smile and a face of gratitude and said "Thank you." Thank you for what? She wasn't so sure exactly.

Quinn walked over to the kitchen where Mrs. Lopez and her mother were preparing the dessert tray. The room felt cold and dark. The entire house which was usually filled with laughter and love now felt completely empty despite it being filled with people. She was going to ask if they needed any help but it looked as if they were already finished.

"Where are the kids?" she asked.

"They're in the treehouse." Her mother answered, her voice quivering, sounding as if she was on the verge or crying again.

"Alone?" Quinn said worriedly.

"No Santana is with them." Mrs. Lopez sniffed.

Quinn nodded and headed over to the patio door.

She was surprised at how easily she could climb the ladder to the treehouse in her heels. She remembered that Joaquin had rebuilt it with a better grip, after Caris had slipped off and broke her arm.

When she opened the passage door she was met with 5 sad, tear streaked faces all huddled together, sitting against the wall. Santana in the middle, with Olivia on her lap, Mason and Eden to the left of her and Caris to the right. They all looked at Quinn expecting her to say something but instead she slipped off her heals, crawled in between Eden and Mason, wrapped her arms around their tiny frames and finally let her tears go.

"It's too hard being down there without them." Mason said as more tears rolled down his, chubby cheeks.

"I know sweetheart." Quinn whispered before kissing his temple. "I know."

Santana watched Quinn from across Masons head and took the blonde woman's hand in her own. Hazel eyes met brown and they realized that despite their past history, they needed to stick together.

An hour and a half later, after all of the guests left, Mr. Lopez stuck his head in and told the two women that Joaquin and Frannie's lawyer needed to speak with them. They begrudgingly got up from behind the children, who were now thankfully sleeping and headed down towards the main house. Not before asking Mr. Lopez to stay behind just in case any of kids woke up.

"Miss. Fabray, Miss. Lopez, I'm William Schuester." The man said as he shook hands with the two women. "Please have a seat." Quinn and Santana took the two seats across from him at the dining room table. "I'm here to discuss your brother and sisters will." he pulled out a white piece of paper from his Briefcase. "Now I wrote this up myself so if you have any questions just ask." he cleared his throat before he began to read from the paper. Santana had caught bits and pieces of what was being said, the money that was is in the bank was to be split evenly among the children and so on, nothing she didn't expect to hear but what was said next made her heart jump into her throat and her stomach drop where her bladder was supposed to be. "With regard to custody of Eden, Mason, Caris and Olivia Lopez we hereby appoint sole guardianship of all four children in viewing them with all legal rights and responsibilities that guardianship entails to Santana Maria Lopez and Lucy Quinn Fabray."

The entire room was silent for a full five seconds before both women let a loud "WHAT!"

"No there has to be some kind of mistake"

"That can't be right."

"I can assure that this is no mistake. They were very clear, they wanted the both of you to be the guardians." Mr. Schuester said. "They are also leaving you the house so you don't have to worry about where you're going to live."

"Now when you say the both if us," Quinn began. "she and I," She pointed to Santana and then herself. "together raising them? Together?"

"Yes that is correct."

"And..what there are no other options?" Santana asked.

"Well if you decided that you could not take care of them then they named your cousins Quinn, Marianne and Edward Fabray as their next choice. However before you make any decisions I have letters from your brother and sister entailing why they made the choice they did." He pulled out two blue envelopes from his briefcase and slid the documents over to them. They both immediately opened them and began reading. There were a few minutes of silence as they read their siblings words. Quinn finished first.

"W-what if one of us is willing to take the children but the other isn't?" She asked. After reading her sisters letter she was positive that she wanted the kids even if Santana didn't.

"Well that won't be a problem we can certainly make arrangements for that."

Santana had still been silent, reading her brother's words over and over. Finally she cleared her throat and spoke.

"So when do we tell them?"

The next day:

"Together?!" Eden exclaimed. "But how is that supposed to-"

"We're not quite sure yet." Quinn interjected. "But don't worry we'll figure it out. Everything will be just fine". She smiled reassuringly but the children looked everything but reassured.

"Look here kiddos," Santana lifted Caris into her lap. "I know it seems crazy and impossible but it's not. We just gotta work together, we're a family this will have to be a group effort. And if everybody gives 100% I promise you this will all work out."

"Right,"Quinn nodded. "so we'll just have to work out a plan." Santana let out a loud sigh. "Is there a problem Santana?"

"No," the Latina chuckled. "It's just so typical of you. A plan Quinn? Really? Can't you just relax for second before bombarding us with your 'plans'"?

"Well somebody's gotta be the mature one here Santana and we both know that mature is not a word in your vocabulary."

"All I'm saying is that you need to chill out and stop being such a control freak for once."

"A control freak?! Is that what you call somebody who's trying to make an effort?!"

Mason, Caris and Eden tuned out their aunts and all turned to look at each other while Olivia just played Quinn's necklace oblivious to everything going on around her.

"We're doomed." Mason sighed. His sisters nodding in agreement.


End file.
